Special Program Courses

Physical Education

Physical education is intended to meet immediate needs for healthy student activity as well as to promote life-long fitness. Good sportsmanship and a cooperative spirit are emphasized in all athletic endeavors, both competitive and noncompetitive. P.E. classes are M-T for Kindergarten, daily for grades 1-6 and twice a week with extended classes for grades 7 and 8.

Mary Immaculate School employs an Athletic Director to supervise and directs the extra-curricular athletic program for grades 5-8 at MIS in conjunction with the DPL. Mary Immaculate School is a participating member of the Dallas Parochial League (DPL). Information on the sports available through our athletics program is available at http://www.mischool.org/pages/Sports_Offered.

Speech/Drama

School and community performances occur in all grades. All students participate in liturgical celebrations, seasonal and cultural activities, and dramatic performances. Speech and drama classes in grades 5-8 focus on development of oral communication skills and creative performance.

Music

Our K-2 music classes primarily use the Kodaly approach to elementary music which believes that making music should be a joy for the student. Movement is also a big part of music, so we also practice a number of musical games and dances to help them internalize the beat and appreciate the mood of the music. In our 3rd and 4th grade music classes we combine the two elements of music that we have been learning separately in lower grades (pitch and rhythm). We learn the letter names of the notes on the staff and we put our music reading skills to work on more advanced instruments like the recorder and xylophones. Our 5th and 6th grade music classes shift our focus to music appreciation.

Choir is offered once a week for students in grades 4-6. And Band is offered twice a week after school for students in grades 4-8. Our 7th graders may choose music as an elective in the fall where they will be learning the ukulele. And our 8th graders may choose music/drama as an elective in the spring where we will rehearse for the spring musical.

A thorough education in music will foster musical performers who can make and share music, stewards of their musical and cultural heritage, critical thinkers, creative human beings, and excellent listeners. If we are to develop a child's self-knowledge, self-awareness, and emotions, we need to educate them in music! Click here to see various videos of our choir in action.

Art Appreciation/Technique

An art appreciation curriculum is taught school wide, and a newly renovated art room allows for creative expression through a variety of art mediums. Students in grades K through 6 have an extended 1 hour class each month, which covers art appreciation and art technique with connections made to the era studied within their grade’s social studies course. They focus on one element of art during each class, learning of artists and artwork with attention to the element of art; then they do a hands-on project to put what they learned into play. 7th and 8th graders can choose art as an elective with 2 hours each week of elective time. The elective class is a studio class, using a wide array of mediums including painting, wire sculpture, ceramics, and digital art.

Computer Science

The administration encourages and regularly assesses instructional methods utilizing technology, beginning in Kindergarten. A thirty-station computer lab, along with computer stations in individual classrooms, is available for teachers and students. Classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, portable laptops and projectors, thus enabling teachers and students to access the Internet and United Streaming and use programs such as Power Point and Inspiration for instruction and presentation. Fifteen library computers provide full access to research materials under the guidance of classroom teachers and the librarian. Four iPad labs on wheels, each containing 20-30 iPads, can be checked out by teachers for student use in all classrooms.

Spanish

The Spanish program begins in kindergarten and progresses through eighth grade, meeting the NCLB-BRS program requirements. The curriculum focuses on conversation proficiency in conjunction with reading and writing fundamentals. Instruction for native speakers is enhanced by the study of Latin American cultures and history.

Television Design and Production

An elective available for eighth graders, this course helps students explore all areas of working in a television or film crew, in either a news or entertainment format. Students learn to operate a simple camera, line up shots, work with a tripod and other equipment, write interviews, conduct interviews and edit the film into a usable format. Click here for a sample of work from last year's students.

Content Mastery

The Content Mastery Program provides individual attention and assistance to students to help improve performance, identify learning strengths and coping skills and to teach organizational skills.